Even if it was a contract, she was his wife now.

This wasn’t selfishness, but fulfilling the role of wife he spoke of.

That’s how Hee Won was rationalizing to herself.

Moreover, she wanted to give back even a little for the gifts and such that Kang Woo gave her.

But Kang Woo just kept his mouth tightly shut and said nothing.

Hee Won became suddenly afraid, wondering if she had said something crossing the line.

In reality, Kang Woo’s eyes were trembling finely in surprise, but Hee Won didn’t notice.

“Is it perhaps burdensome for you?”

Hee Won gathered her courage once more and asked carefully. But Kang Woo just stared at her without responding to her words.

“Kang Woo?”

Only then did focus return to Kang Woo’s eyes as he spoke.

“No. Please do. …See me off.”

Though thinking it couldn’t be, Hee Won somehow felt Kang Woo’s voice sounded a bit choked up.

As they left the hotel, Director Kang could be seen standing in front of a black luxury car.

Surprised by Hee Won’s appearance, Director Kang’s eyes widened in shock.

“Madam, what brings you here?”

But even in that moment, the title “madam” naturally came from Director Kang’s lips.

And Kang Woo spoke to Director Kang as if praising him.

“You’re quick-witted.”

“Who else’s chief secretary would I be?”

Hee Won could only stare blankly, unable to understand the two’s conversation.

“I should get going.”

“Have a safe trip.”

After exchanging farewell greetings, Kang Woo turned to look at Hee Won before getting in the car.

“Thank you for seeing me off.”

Hee Won’s face turned slightly red at Kang Woo’s words.

She thought she had done well to muster up the courage after all.

“It’s nothing. It wasn’t difficult.”

“Still…”

Then he stopped mid-sentence and moved his lips.

When Hee Won looked at him with a puzzled expression, Kang Woo composed himself.

“Then I’ll see you later.”

“Yes, have a good trip.”

Hee Won waved her hand towards Kang Woo.

Kang Woo looked at Hee Won like that, swallowing an indescribable emotion.

Returning to the hotel, Hee Won lay on the bed and recalled Kang Woo’s face just before parting.

As she stretched her hand into the air, a sparkling wedding ring could be seen on the fourth finger of her left hand.

She was falling for him much faster than she had thought.

Her feelings for Kang Woo were growing by the day.

“Was this bed always so wide?”

When he was here, she never thought it was wide, but now alone it felt so spacious that it made her feel lonely.

* * *

The next day.

As expected, when she opened her eyes, the spot beside her was empty.

Hee Won’s mood sank as she touched the side with no warmth at all.

But that was only for a moment. Shaking her head vigorously to clear her thoughts, Hee Won said,

“No, I’m on a trip. Enjoy it!”

From today, she was planning to tour New York in earnest with Secretary Ha.

There were many places she wanted to go, so the morning schedule was tight and she had to move quickly.

There wasn’t much time until Secretary Ha arrived at the hotel.

Hee Won forcibly swallowed her loneliness and got up to enter the bathroom.

Until then, she couldn’t have imagined.

That she would meet that woman related to Kang Woo.

[This is the timeline separator]

The first place Hee Won wanted to visit was Carnegie Hall.

Though she majored in elementary education in college, her real dream was to become a performer.

President Seong sent her to piano lessons after elementary school, saying women should be skilled with instruments.

The piano she played then captivated her heart.

She also had talent, so the piano academy director suggested to President Seong that she become a pianist.

Hearing that, President Seong flew into a rage and forbade her from playing piano.

And he earnestly implored Hee Won.

[I’m not teaching you to make you into some nobody who just plays piano. So don’t even dream of anything else. It’s only for Jin Seong. Your life is.]

After that, she couldn’t go near a piano.

That’s how she gave up on her dream.

Hee Won entered Carnegie Hall with a trembling heart.

“It’s really magnificent.”

A sigh escaped her lips first. As she slowly went inside, the classical atmosphere made her heart feel grand.

“Among today’s performers, there’s a Korean…”

Secretary Ha was saying while looking at a poster, but stopped mid-sentence in surprise.

Hee Won approached the poster first and said,

“Stacy Lee? Seems she’s Korean-American.”

“…It seems so.”

Secretary Ha’s expression was quite dark as she answered.

“Amazing. Performing with an orchestra. Oh? Isn’t this conductor very famous?”

Since President Seong didn’t manage the books she read, Hee Won at least had freedom in choosing books.

And she had seen the conductor she was looking at now in a book before.

Seeing a conductor she usually liked, her heart started to flutter.

“Um, madam.”

“This is so great. To be able to see him in person.”

She didn’t notice Secretary Ha’s change in expression. And it didn’t take long for her to regret dismissing Secretary Ha’s words.

The result of not seeing Secretary Ha’s expression that she should have seen was truly cruel.

“Do you think we can get tickets?”

“I’m not sure. We’ll have to check. Please wait a moment. I’ll go find out.”

“Okay.”

While Secretary Ha headed to the information desk, Hee Won was looking at the poster.

“Hello?”

An unfamiliar woman’s voice reached her ears.

But since it was an unknown voice, Hee Won didn’t realize it was directed at her and just kept looking at the poster. Then the unfamiliar voice was heard from even closer.

“You’re Seong Hee Won, right?”

Surprised that the strange woman called her name, Hee Won turned her head.

“…Who are you?”

In front of her stood a woman wearing a performance dress.

She searched her memories but had no information about the woman in her mind.

As she tilted her head in confusion, the woman smiled gently.

“You wouldn’t know me. But I know you.”

Hee Won felt somehow unpleasant at the incomprehensible words. Meanwhile, the woman smiled, pulling up the corners of her mouth even more.

“I’m Stacy.”

“Pardon?”

“I’m Stacy Lee, the one in that poster you were looking at.”

Hee Won was confused as to why the protagonist from the poster was talking to her.

And before she could organize her thoughts, Stacy continued speaking.

“I know elder brother Kang Woo.”

“…”

“Yes. We’re a bit more than just acquaintances, but it’s a bit awkward to say this in front of his wife. It seems Kang Woo hasn’t told you about me, so I’ll just leave it at that.”

Hee Won snapped to attention at Stacy’s words.

“What do you mean?”

“That elder brother Kang Woo and I have a special relationship.”

Her voice unconsciously became sharp. After all, it was impossible to think kindly of a strange woman calling her husband “elder brother”.

Hee Won wasn’t the type to judge people quickly, but she quickly formed an opinion of Stacy.

That she was being hostile towards her.

Though Stacy was hiding it with a smile, she could tell with a woman’s intuition.

The feeling of seeing a woman who might have some kind of relationship with her husband was truly unpleasant.

Stacy looked at Hee Won’s changing expression with a satisfied face and said in a voice tinged with laughter,

“Did you come to see the concert?”

She had wanted to. Until she found out Stacy had some kind of relationship with Kang Woo.

But now she didn’t want to.

“No. I was just curious about Carnegie Hall.”

Hee Won spoke in a firm voice. And not wanting to stay with Stacy even a second longer, she added,

“I have another appointment, so I don’t want to say it was nice meeting you today. I think you know that best, Stacy.”

Though she was usually polite, she wasn’t foolish enough to be kind to someone who had first been hostile towards her.

Stacy’s eyes wavered at Hee Won’s words.

“And I’ll ask my husband about you later.”

She deliberately emphasized “hus. band” when referring to Kang Woo, and in an instant the smile disappeared from Stacy’s face.

Hee Won was certain her intuition hadn’t been wrong.

That Stacy and Kang Woo might have been some kind of relationship.

“Then I’ll excuse myself first.”

After forcing up the corners of her mouth that wouldn’t rise, she smiled forcedly and turned around.

Hee Won quickly approached Secretary Ha who was standing at the counter.

“Secretary Ha.”

Secretary Ha turned around when Hee Won called.

“Madam. The tickets…”

“No, I want to go back. Let’s go somewhere else.”

A rigid expression and sunken voice.

Secretary Ha’s face grew suspicious as she looked at Hee Won, wondering what had happened in such a short time.

Like Director Kang, Secretary Ha had also studied with Kang Woo at an American university. When Kang Woo returned to Korea at Chairman Cha’s request, or rather order, she was the one who willingly chose to go to Korea along with Director Kang.

Of course, it was partly because she was in a relationship with Director Kang, but also because there was a special connection with Kang Woo before that.

Kang Woo had once saved Secretary Ha when she fell into the sea. Though the situation was life-threatening for Kang Woo as well, he was the only one who jumped in for Secretary Ha.

When Kang Woo was designated as the next successor of LS Group, Secretary Ha, who was in the business course at university, decided to assist him along with Director Kang.

Secretary Ha’s gaze shifted to where Hee Won had been standing earlier. Stacy was still standing there, glaring at Hee Won.

And when Stacy’s eyes met Secretary Ha’s, she smiled as if nothing had happened.

But Secretary Ha’s face immediately crumpled. She knew well what kind of relationship Kang Woo and Stacy had, and how cunning and selfish a woman Stacy was.

She could also guess how Stacy had provoked Hee Won.